IHRATMAC's Blog

In The Swamps With Gator

It's been a crazy week since San Antonio. We were barely home before we headed back out on the road again. I've since learned that 'On the Road Again' is a Willy Nelson song.

I've got to admit - I don't know much about country music. But I'm more than willing to learn - let me tell you why.

After our runner-up finish in San Antonio, Rhonda and I headed to Nashville for a meeting with our friends at CMT. CMT has that show "Trick My Truck" and if you haven't seen it yet you should check it out. Or at least go by and sign up for the contest to be apart of my crew. It's called "Trick My Crew".

Anyway, after our meeting we were lucky enough to score a few tickets to one of the 'pre-parties' and to the actual show. Well there were 5 of us (Rhonda, Ellen from Live Nation, my PR guy Jim and his wife Lynnette) and we couldn't get all of the seats together. So, everyone voted and gave me the odd ticket. Funny I don't remember getting a vote.

Well, my so called friends thought they were giving me the bad ticket. Turns out I was sitting in the same section with all the C&W stars. Mind you I only recognized Tom Arnold, but there were plenty of pretty people all around. Nicole Kidman looked good too!

I did get a little confused when Snoop Dog showed up. He's not country now is he? It was strange seeing people like Robert Plant there. The couple of the Eagles were there too. They were up for an award along with some others you wouldn't think of as country. Like Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp.

Later that night I check my phone and my buddy Rob Reeves left me a message and told me that he saw me on TV with those 2 good looking blonds. Funny thing is I was sitting with those blonds - I know Rob didn't see me though - or maybe he had ESP or something, I don't know.

Anyway - it was a lot of fun - the ladies of country music look a lot better than some of the 'rockers' I remember. Maybe I can be converted to country. We'll have to wait and see.

After the show we headed to downtown Nashville to check out a few of the clubs. It was late on a Tuesday and there was plenty of live entertainment still happening. We stumbled into this gift shop to get the girls a sweatshirt (it was a little chilly) and we had some fun playing with these hats.

I look good - I'm not sure where Ellen and Rhonda are going in their hats...

Well, here we are. It's the start of a new season and we're riding down the road making our way to San Antonio for the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals.

All of this time behind the windshield gives me a chance to think about everything we have planned this winter. I want to make sure we have the dots on the "i's" and crosses the "t's".

Plus, this year we're riding down the road with two big rigs. Paradise RV & Coach in Alberta found us the perfect rigs, so it's pretty cool riding down the road like our own little convoy.

Watching the InstiGator Funny Car ride down the road makes me realize again that I will not be driving it this year. That's going to be a little different for me, standing there and watching that car go down the track with Paul Noakes driving it and Les Mellows tuning it...

But I know those are 2 of the best guys in the business, so that ol' gator is on good hands.

Well, we're headed for some displays at some area NAPA stores. So come by and see us on Rittiman Road on Tuesday or Woodlawn Road on Wednesday.

Oh, we'll be doing a display out in Selma, TX with KISS FM from 4-6 on Thursday.

If you don't get a chance to see us at one of those events, make sure you stop by the pits and say hi.